Last Time OutVillanova: The Wildcats were defeated, 77-64, by New Orleans on Dec. 13, 1997 in The Pavilion. Despite hanging on to a 34-30 halftime lead, Villanova couldn't withstand a 33-point, 14-rebound effort from the Privateers' DeWaune Wesley. Villanova shot a season-low 33.3 percent from the field, while New Orleans converted 51.9 percent and outrebounded Villanova by a 45-34 margin. John Celestand led the Wildcats with a career-high 22 points, while Malik Allen had 10 rebounds.

Temple: In their second-ever game at the Apollo, the Owls trounced DePaul, 74-43, behind a career-high 15 points from Julian Dunkley. DePaul shot only 21.9 percent in the game from the floor, including 8.8 percent in the first half. The Owls converted 45.0 percent from the field and outrebounded their opponent by a 48-41 margin. Lynn Greer added 12 points for Temple, while Rasheed Brokenborough had 11 points.

Villanova-Temple Series Notes
Villanova records show the Wildcats' series with Temple dating back to Jan. 8, 1921, with Villanova recording a 31-28 victory over the Owls. Temple leads the series, 36-33, and has won two-straight contests and three of the last four. The Owls have dominated the series since 1985, winning seven of the last 10 meetings, including four-straight from 1985 to 1988. In The Pavilion, Temple has won two of three contests, defeating Villanova 80-73 on Nov. 24, 1986 and 67-65 in overtime on Dec. 20, 1986. The Wildcats' victory over the Owls in The Pavilion came on Dec. 17, 1988, by a score of 70-59. John Chaney is 8-5 (.615) versus Villanova, while Steve Lappas is 0-2 against Temple.

Big Five Games in The Pavilion
Despite the fact that the Wildcats have met with tremendous success in The Pavilion since it opened in 1986, they have a losing mark in Philadelphia Big Five games played in the arena. Villanova is a combined 6-8 (.428) against the city series teams, including a 1-3 mark against Temple, 3-0 mark against Penn, 2-1 mark against St. Joseph's, and 0-4 mark against La Salle. Villanova has, however, won three-straight contests against Big Five opponents and four of the last six in the building. Additionally, head coach Steve Lappas is 2-0 in The Pavilion during his tenure. A listing of games against Big Five teams in The Pavilion follows.

Villanova in the Big Five
Throughout the years, Villanova has played 215 games against Philadelphia Big Five teams. The Wildcats' record is 119-96 (.553) combined against Temple (33-36), Pennsylvania (29-15), St. Joseph's (34-21) and La Salle (23-24).

Few and Far Between
Under head coach Steve Lappas, Villanova owns a record of 19-2 (.904) versus non-Big East Conference foes in The Pavilion (1992-present). After losing to Florida, 85-77, on Dec. 22, 1993, the Wildcats won 14-straight non-league contests in the arena over a period of three-plus seasons before falling to New Orleans, 77-64, on Dec. 13, 1997. Villanova has not lost back-to-back games in The Pavilion since the 1990-91 season when the Wildcats were defeated by Temple 70-57 on Nov. 29, 1990, followed by defeats at the hands of La Salle 102-94 (Dec. 12, 1990) and Arizona 72-64 (Jan. 19, 1991). The 13-point defeats to New Orleans this season and Temple during the 1990-91 campaign mark the largest margin of victory for a non-league opponent of all-time in The Pavilion.

Home, Sweet, Home
The Wildcats have recorded 33-straight sellouts in their on-campus arena, The Pavilion, and boast a record of 92-35 (.724) in the building since it opened in 1986. From the 1994-95 season on, Villanova is 30-3 (.909) in The Pavilion, including an 18-2 (.900) mark in Big East Conference match-ups.

Villanova Versus the Atlantic 10
The Wildcats have played every member of the 12-school Atlantic 10, posting a record of 193-148 (.565) combined against the league throughout history. Villanova is 33-36 versus Temple, 3-4 versus Dayton, 25-25 versus Duquesne, 10-8 versus Fordham, 10-6 against George Washington, 23-24 against La Salle, 11-1 against Massachusetts, 4-2 versus Rhode Island, 21-18 against St. Bonaventure, 34-21 versus St. Joseph's, 3-0 against Virginia Tech, and 16-3 against Xavier. In the Steve Lappas era, Villanova is 5-4 against the league.

Lappas Versus Ranked Opponents
Temple is the second nationally-ranked team that the Wildcats will face this season, as Villanova played the No. 1-ranked Duke Blue Devils on Dec. 10 (L 94-66). Under head coach Steve Lappas, the Wildcats have recorded a mark of 16-16 (.500) against nationally-ranked teams, including a record of 12-9 (.571) over the past four years.

Lappas and Non-Conference Opponents
Currently in his sixth season at the helm of the Wildcat program, head coach Steve Lappas has posted a mark of 44-18 (.709) versus non-conference opponents during his tenure. In his first year on the Main Line, the Wildcats were 5-3; in 1993-94 Villanova recorded a mark of 10-3 in non-Big East games. In 1994-95, the Wildcats registered a mark of 8-3, and in 1995-96 they were 11-2 out of conference. Last season, Lappas posted a mark of 10-3 in non-league contests, while Villanova is 0-4 in 1997-98.

Gratz Well Represented
Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia is well represented in the Villanova-Temple match-up, as both squads boast Gratz products on their rosters. Villanova freshman Marvin O'Connor is a 1997 graduate, while Temple senior Lynard Stewart finished up in 1994. Both players enjoyed great success at Simon Gratz, as O'Connor guided his squad to the 1997 Public League Championship and earned Player-of-the-Year honors in the city. Stewart helped his 1994 team to the finals of the playoffs, and also earned Player-of-the-Year acclaim in his senior season.

Career Highs for Celestand, O'Connor
Both John Celestand and Marvin O'Connor recorded career-best scoring performances versus New Orleans on Saturday night. Celestand posted 22 points on nine-of-23 shooting, surpassing his previous best of 19 points against Seton Hall this year and Georgetown during his freshman season. His nine field goals also were career-highs for the Piscataway, N.J., native. O'Connor, meanwhile, registered 13 points on five-for-eight shooting (.625), bettering his former career-high of 11 points set against Bradley this year. O'Connor's shooting performance was the best of his career from both the field and from three, as he hit three-for-six from behind the three-point arc.

Allen Comes Through
Sophomore Malik Allen put in one of the finest performances of his young career last Wednesday versus Duke. The Shawnee High School product posted game-high numbers in scoring and rebounding, registering a career-high 17 points and 16 rebounds. His 17 points came on seven-for-12 (.583) shooting from the field, personal-bests in field goals made, attempted and percentage. In addition, his 16 boards (eight offensive and eight defensive) is the most by a Wildcat since March 17, 1995, when Jason Lawson collected 17 against Old Dominion in the NCAA Tournament.

More on Malik
Malik Allen has posted double figures in rebounding for two-straight games, grabbing a career-high 16 against Duke and 10 versus New Orleans. It marks the first time in his career that he's registered back-to-back double-figure outings on the boards, and the first time since Jason Lawson did it last season against UNC-Wilmington and Seton Hall.

Wildcats on the Tube
During the Lappas tenure on the Main Line, Villanova has made 52 appearances on five national television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, ABC, and NBC). The Wildcats have recorded a mark of 30-22 (.577) in those games, including an 11-14 record on ESPN. Villanova is 7-1 on ESPN2, 9-7 on CBS, 1-0 on ABC, and 2-0 on NBC during the six years Lappas has served as Villanova head coach.

Jermaine for Three
Freshman Jermaine Medley had a breakout game versus Seton Hall on Dec. 6, 1997, registering a career-high 15 points on five-for-nine shooting from the field. The Wilmington, Del., native, converted five-of-eight from behind the three-point arc, one of the best performances of all time for a freshman at Villanova. Medley's five treys set a single-game record for made three-pointers for all Wildcat freshman, while his percentage of .625 is the third best of all-time among Villanova rookies. Kerry Kittles owns the top two three-point shooting marks, converting four-of-four against Lehigh on Dec. 28, 1992, and hitting four-of-six (.667) against Syracuse on Feb. 23, 1993.

Starting from Scratch
The Wildcats are virtually starting from scratch this season, with only one starter returning to the 1997-98 lineup, as Chuck Kornegay, Jason Lawson, Tim Thomas, and Alvin Williams have all departed. Combined, the quartet amassed 4,244 career points and 2,142 career rebounds during their varied tenures at Villanova. In addition, the Wildcat seniors from a year ago (Kornegay, Lawson, Williams) compiled 95 victories during their four-year stint, the most wins by a class in school history. The class of Ô97 surpassed the class of Ô85, which posted a record of 92-38 and won the NCAA title.

Holley to Redshirt
Freshman Johnny Holley, a 6-foot-6 forward from McKinney, Texas, will redshirt the 1997-98 season due to an inflammatory condition in his right knee. Holley played in only one game this season, seeing limited action against Bradley.

At Home and on the Road in the Big East
Over the last four years (1994-present), Villanova has recorded a mark of 24-4 (.857) at home in Big East Conference regular-season contests. In Big East games in The Pavilion during that time, the Wildcats are 18-2 (.900). During the Steve Lappas era at Villanova, the Wildcats are 30-16 (.652) at home in league play, including a stellar 23-11 (.676) in The Pavilion.

The Villanova Wildcats have recorded a mark of 25-21 (.543) on the road in Big East Conference match-ups under Lappas, including a stellar record of 23-14 (.622) over the last four years, and a 1-0 mark this season after a 73-69 win at Georgetown.

Experimenting with the Lineup
Villanova head coach Steve Lappas has utilized three different starting lineups this season. The constants have been Malik Allen, Rafal Bigus, and John Celestand, while Jermaine Medley has been inserted at the point guard position and Howard Brown replaced Zeffy Penn versus Georgetown. Following are each of Villanova's lineups this season, and the result:

75 is the Magic Number
Prior to the 1997-98 campaign, over the past five seasons under head coach Steve Lappas, the Wildcats are 72-12 (.857) in games where they have scored 75 points or better. In 1996-97, the Wildcats were 15-3 when hitting a score of 75. Last year, Villanova was 16-1 when producing 75+ points. During the 1994-95 season, they tallied a 19-1 record in such games, while they were 13-4 in 1993-94 and 8-3 in 1992-93. With five games only gone in the 1997-98 season, the Wildcats have yet to reach 75. However, they surpassed 70 twice and won both games.

1997-98 Big East Predictions
Syracuse and Connecticut are the choices of the Big East Conference head coaches to win the 1997-98 division titles. Syracuse is picked to win the Big East 7 Division, receiving 10 first-place votes and 81 points. Connecticut garnered nine first-place votes and 69 points to earn the Big East 6 champion, narrowly edging St. John's with 63 points and four first-place votes. Following is the results of the tally:

Rookie at the Point
Wildcat freshman Jermaine Medley made his first career start against Bradley, becoming the first true freshman to run the point for Villanova since the 1985-86 season when Kenny Wilson ran the show. Wilson went on to become a four-year starter for head coach Rollie Massimino, setting the Wildcat career assist mark with 627 from 1985-89. That year, Villanova started an all-freshman backcourt with Wilson at point guard and Doug West at the two guard position. Both players started each of their four years at Villanova.

Villanova and the NBA
Last season, three Villanova players were taken in the NBA Draft's two rounds, the highest number from any school in the nation. Tim Thomas was selected with the No. 7 pick by the New Jersey Nets, and was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, while Jason Lawson was chosen with the No. 46 selection by the Denver Nuggets. He, too, was traded later in the evening to the Orlando Magic. Alvin Williams went to the Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 48 pick.

In addition, over the last two years, Villanova has had four players selected in the Draft, with Kerry Kittles chosen by New Jersey with the No. 8 pick. Those four players selected in two years rates as the nation's second-highest number (Kentucky with six is first).

Highlights of the Steve Lappas Tenure

Four-straight 20-win seasons, including a school-record 26 victories in 1996.

Three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

1994 NIT Champions.

1995 Big East Conference Tourney Champions.

1997 Big East
Conference Regular-season Champions.

31 Weeks in the Associated Press Top 25.

Two-time Naismith National Coach of the Year finalist.

One All-American, one National
Freshman of the Year, one Big East Player of the Year, one Big East Rookie of the Year, one Big East Defensive Player of the Year and 10 All-Conference selections.

Four players drafted by National Basketball Association teams, including a national high of three in one season.

Player Profiles

#15 Malik Allen
So.~6-10~240~F
Medford, N.J.

Started every Villanova game at power forward ... Averaging 9.7 ppg and a team-best 8.8 rpg ... Third on the team in scoring ... Tremendous performance against Duke, registering a career-high 17 points and 16 rebounds, both game-high numbers ... His 16 boards is the most by a Wildcat since March 17, 1995 when Jason Lawson had 17 against Old Dominion in the NCAA Tournament ... Has reset scoring career-high twice in the last four games ... Leading the Big East in blocked shots with 2.8 bpg ... Played a career-high 34 minutes against the Blue Devils ... Posted 16 points against Georgetown to go with a game-high eight rebounds ... Converted a career-high eight-for-eight from the foul line against the Hoyas, including four in the final 1:06 to put Villanova up by four and help secure the win ... Played 33 minutes against Georgetown ... Scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds versus Minnesota ... Shot four-for-eight in the contest ... Team leader in rebounding four times this season, versus Bradley, Georgetown, Duke and New Orleans ... Has posted back-to-back games with double-figure rebounding ... Set career-high with three steals versus the Braves.

Good offensive skills ... Started every Villanova game this season at center ... Averaging 6.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg ... Sixth on the team in scoring and second in rebounding ... Hitting a team-best .552 percent from the field ... Started against Georgetown despite a painful hip pointer and played an outstanding first half, hitting all four shots from the field ... Scored 12 points on six-of-nine shooting and grabbed nine rebounds against Minnesota ... Tied career-high for points versus Minnesota, and reset personal-bests for blocks (four) and field goals (six) ... Tallied a season-best nine boards twice, against Minnesota and Seton Hall ... Scored six points and grabbed two rebounds in the final seven minutes of the Wildcats' contest with Seton Hall to help Villanova pull away.

Extremely hard working player with great intensity ... Great competitor ... Started four games this season, with first start of the year coming at Georgetown ... Averaging 10.5 ppg and 4.7 rpg ... Second on the team in scoring and fourth in rebounding ... Has registered four double-figure scoring outings in the past five games ... Hit for 14 points against Duke to go with five boards ... Posted a season-high 16 points against Seton Hall, hitting seven-of-11 from the field, the best shooting performance of his career and a personal-best for made field goals in a single game ... Also grabbed eight rebounds, dished out a career-high six assists and had no turnovers in a career-high 34 minutes versus Seton Hall ... Contributed 11 points on five-of-nine shooting from the field, six rebounds and three assists against the Hoyas ... Hit huge basket against Georgetown as the shot clock expired in the final 2:27 of the game, and had two defensive rebounds in the closing minutes of the game ... Villanova's leading scorer versus Bradley, posting 14 points on five-for-eight shooting from the field ... Hit a career-best four-of-five from three-point range, personal-highs for treys made and percentage ... Played 24 minutes versus Bradley.

Good shooter ... Very tough player ... Played in every game this season for Villanova ... Averaging 2.3 ppg and 1.0 rpg ... Scored in three games on the season ... Registered a season-high 22 minutes versus Seton Hall and scored five points ... Posted four points, two boards, three assists, one steal and no turnovers in the Wildcats' win over Georgetown.

Started every Villanova game ... Started at the point versus Minnesota, and at the two since then ... Averaging 13.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg ... First on the team in scoring, fourth in rebounding, third in steals and first in assists ... Averaging 5.0 apg ... Registered double-figure scoring outings in four of the past five games ... Has reset career scoring bests in two of the last three games ... Scored career-high 22 points against New Orleans to lead the team along with four assists and three rebounds ...Also had a career-high nine field goals versus New Orleans ... Posted game-high 19 points against Seton Hall ... Shot five-for-nine in the game and posted a season-high seven assists, the most by any Wildcat this season ... Had 15 points against Georgetown in one of the best games of his career ... Controlled the game and did an excellent job handling the tough Georgetown pressure ... Also had a season-high seven rebounds and hit five-of-eight from the foul line ... Played a career-high 40 minutes against Bradley and scored 10 points.

Missed Bradley and Georgetown games due to a strained right achilles ... Returned to practice following the Georgetown game and dressed for the Seton Hall contest but did not see action ... After finally returning to full strength, suffered a sprained ankle the day prior to the Duke game and did not dress for the contest with the Blue Devils ... Finally got back on the court against New Orleans, but played only three minutes and had one assist ... Still bothered by the ankle, but expected to play against Temple ... Started at the off guard position versus Minnesota ... Played 17 minutes versus Minnesota and scored four points to go with two rebounds.

Very talented point guard with great shooting ability ... Possesses great range ... Started five contests and played in every Wildcat game this season ... Averaging 7.0 ppg and 1.7 rpg ... Fifth on the team in scoring ... Broke out against Seton Hall, connecting on five three-pointers on only eight attempts to score a career-high 15 points ... Five treys is the most by a Wildcat freshman in school history, while his percentage from behind the arc is the third-best of all time - Kerry Kittles hit four-of-six (.667) versus Syracuse on Feb. 23, 1993 and four-for-four as a frosh versus Lehigh on Dec. 28, 1992 ... Played a career-high 31 minutes against the Pirates and New Orleans ... Hit first three of his career against Georgetown ... Played 15 minutes versus Minnesota and scored four points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out three assists ... Went to the foul line for the first time in his career and hit two-of-three against New Orleans.

Walk-on for the Wildcats in his final season ... Solid practice player ... Has not seen action yet this season ... Fractured his left index finger in practice prior to the Bradley game ... Expected to be out of action for three weeks.

Bright spot early for Villanova ... Played in every Wildcat game this season, posting double figures in scoring three times ... Averaging 7.3 ppg and 2.0 rpg ... Fourth on the team in scoring ... Played best game of career versus New Orleans, scoring 13 points on five-for-eight shooting from the field (.625), including three-of-six from behind the three-point arc ... Best shooting game his career and most single-game three-pointers ... Hit first three-pointer of his career against Seton Hall ... Scored 10 points on five-for-11 shooting versus Minnesota ... Also grabbed two steals in the game ... Registered 11 points versus Bradley in 26 minutes, a career-best for minutes played ... Played 19 minutes against Georgetown and grabbed four rebounds, dished out two assists and had no turnovers.

Missed most of preseason drills due to a stress fracture in his right leg ... Has played in three games this season, seeing four minutes of action versus Bradley and three against Seton Hall and Duke ... Took one shot and grabbed one rebound versus the Braves.

Team captain and crowd favorite ... Returns for final season after spending 1996-97 season out as a redshirt ... Extremely active in the community ... Graduated in the spring with a degree in education, and is currently student-teaching at Furness High School in Philadelphia (10th grade) ... Also studying to become a Eucharistic Minister and serves as an academic mentor at Villanova ... Starter at the small forward spot for Villanova in first two games of the season ... Moved back to his sixth man role versus Georgetown to come off the bench and be extremely productive (10 points, four-for-six shooting, three boards, two assists, two steals) ... Averaging 6.2 ppg and 5.0 rpg ... Seventh on the team in scoring and third on the team in rebounding ... First on the squad in steals with 11, including a career-high three versus Seton Hall ... Scored 10 points, including eight in the second half, on four-for-eight shooting against Duke in 25 minutes ... Also added six rebounds, a game-high two steals, and two assists versus the Blue Devils ... Team leader in scoring with 13 points and posted game-high numbers in rebounding with 11 boards versus Minnesota ... Shot five-for-11 in the game and hit the Wildcats' only three against the Gophers ... Registered career-highs versus the Gophers in five categories: 13 points, 11 rebounds, 33 minutes, 1 trey, and five field goals.